The invention relates to a heated automotive bed liner for trucks, vans, buses, or any other motor vehicles designed to carry heavy loads. More particularly, the invention relates to an automotive bed liner that is electrically heated to prevent freezing of equipment and goods inside the vehicle during cold weather.
Many trucks, vans and buses are used to transport equipment and goods that are vulnerable to cold temperatures. During transportation, such equipment and goods may freeze, resulting in damage when they are exposed to cold weather for a prolonged period of time.
The problem of freezing arises not only during transportation but also during prolonged parking. Equipment and goods inside the vehicle are susceptible to freeze-ups especially when the vehicle is parked overnight. For this very reason, many people waste valuable time unloading their vehicle every time it is parked overnight. For a long time, people have desired a device that can prevent the equipment and goods inside their vehicle from freezing and thus eliminate the hassle of unloading and loading their vehicle everyday. However, no such device exists today that addresses this specific need.
While various prior art references disclose electrical heated mat-like devices, no device has been specifically designed for use in a motor vehicle to prevent freezing of equipment and goods inside the vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,988 to Dyer discloses a heated mat structure for melting ice and snow on heavy foot traffic areas. Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,000 to Hornberger discloses a heater mat apparatus for melting snow surrounding an automobile to accommodate access. In addition to their structural differences, these inventions are specifically designed for outdoor use, mainly for the purpose of melting ice and snow. Consequently, they are not suitable for use on automotive vehicles since they do not address the unique needs associated with providing heat to equipment and goods inside the vehicles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,254,384 to Gordon discloses a heatable car floor mat for the purpose of reducing damages to the floor caused by snow, water, mud and road salts. The duplex floor mat has a porous mat supported by a reservoir to permit water and road salt to flow through the porous mat into the reservoir. The floor mat is connectable to a heater vent of the vehicle in an effort to accelerate the process of evaporating water trapped in the reservoir. Although the device may be effective in keeping the floor of an automobile dry, it is not effective in preventing goods from freezing during transportation. In addition, many trucks, vans and buses do not have heating vents that reach far enough in the back area where the most of the goods are usually carried. Furthermore, the device to Gordon does not solve the problem of freeze-up when the automobile is parked.
While these units mentioned above may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereafter.